Grain separator



Jan. 6. 1925.

c. w. CARTER .GRAIN SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 26, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M(Vdaqj g/ Jan, 6. 1925.

C. W. CARTER GRAIN SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 26, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES I 1,521,929 PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE w. CARTER, or'ivrrNNnAronts, MINNESOTA, ASSIGN'OR To cARTER-M HEW MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORA- IoN or MIN EsoTA.

GRAIN SEPARATOR.

Application filed February 26, 1923. Serial No. 621,235.

To all whom it may concern I p Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. CARTER, a citizen of the United-States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Separators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. v 7

My invention has for its particular object the provision ofan extremely simple and highly efficient separator for the removal of what is known as dockage from grain samples, and to such ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. Grain as it comes from the thrashing machine always contains more or less wild oats, wild peas, cockle, wild mustard, andvarious other foreign seeds and substances which, collectively," are known as dockage. At

elevators, mills and other places where this grain is purchased, it is the established practice-to'take from the cars small samples, the standard being approximately one quart, andby'the use'of hand-operated sieves or other separating means, to separate the dockage from the good grain to thereby determine the grade or value of the grain. By the means hitherto employed for the removal of dockage,-it has been impossible to get anywhere near an of the dockage or foreign substances out of the good grain and the amount remaining in the grain has varied, depending on the time employed in the separation and the manner of manipulation itself, so that it has hitherto generally happened that when the same samples, or samples taken from the same body of grain, have been tested by difierentpersons, the resultshave been different. Obviously, a

standard whereby the same grain will always be'given-the same grade or valueis highly desirable. A

In the first place, my invention provides an extremely etlicient v dockage separator, and in the second place, I provide in connection therewith a motor or propelling means that will operate the separator for a predetermined time, say one minute or less,

but which will'be suflicient to separate sub-- stantially all of the foreign materials from the wheat. With this arrangement, there-. fore, I two samples separated at different places by two different machines The nature of this invention will be more clearly apparent after having first described the same in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indi-j cate like parts throughout the several views."

Referring to the drawings: y

Fig.1 is a side elevation with some parts broken away and" some parts sectioned, showing the improved separator and means for driving the same;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line2+2 of Fig. 1, some parts being in full;

Fig. 3 is a rearlelevation of the separator shown'in Figs. 1 and 2; i i "I Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the separator shown in Figs. 1 2 and 8, some parts being broken away. and some parts being sectioned;'and 9 i 1;

Fig.6 is a view corresponding to Fig. l, but illustrating a modified form of the separator, some parts being broken away.

The preferred form. of the separator shown in F igs; 1, 2, 3 and 4 will first be described. p

In this form of theseparator, all of the parts of the separator proper are supported on a suitable anchored pedestal 6, theupper end of which, as'shown, is forked to afford axially aligned bearings 7, 8 and9. TA shaft} 10, equippedat its outer end with a driving sheave or pulley 11, is journaled in the bearspindle16 is rigidly secured at one end to the arm'14 and'projects cent-rally therefrom between theprongs of said arm and-pref-- erably in a'plane that includes tlie'axes of" the stub shafts 13. The stub shafts 13,: it' will be noted, are axially aligned with each" other and with the drive shaftlO. Mounted to rotate on the spindle 16 is a separating drumthatisopen atone side and closed "at of the same klnd Wlll give the "same res lt lid the other. This, drum, as preferably designed, comprises a cylindrical body shell 17, an outwardly converging or contracted annular rim 18 at one side, and a solid head 19 at the other side, the said elements 17, 18 and 19- being rigidly connected. The head 19 at its axis is provided with a bearing sleeve 20 that is journaled on the spindle 16 and extends into the fork of the arm l tso that the head 19 is arranged to run close'to the bearings 7, 8 and 9. On its outer side, adjacent to its rim, the head, 19 is formed with a bevel gear 21, which, as shown, is a toothless or friction surface arranged to run in frictional contact with the beveled frictionpinion 12. The cylindrical drum shell 17 is formed with closely adjacent internal pockets22 that are, for example, of a size to receive. Wheat kernels but are not long enough to receive oats. Mounted on the extended portion of the spindle 16 is a nonrotary but tiltable collecting hopper 23 provided at its outer end with a projecting discharge spout 24 that is normally closed by a spring-pressed gate 25.

The hopper v23 is preferably made readily detachable from the spindle 16' but is held against rotation thereon by a device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and at, and which comprises a lock plate 27 mounted to slide in vertical guide flanges 26 on the outer end of the hopper. This lock plate 27 is provided with a perforation 28 having a contracted upwardly extended portion 29. The perforation 28 is large enough to pass the end of the spindle 16 therethrough and said spindle, at opposite sides, has vertically cut-notches 30 that adapt the lock plate to be forced down onto the same, as best shown in Fig. 4:, thereby locking the hopper both against axial and rotary movements on the spindle. l/Vhen the look plate v27 is raised, the hopper may be readily slid off from the spindle. It is also important to note that when the hopperis locked in position, the separating drum, while free for rotation on the spindle, will be held against axial sliding movement on said spindle.

The weighted head 15 is heavy enough to hold the separating drum and hopper, even when loaded with grain, in horizontal position or substantially as shown in Fig; 1. The rotary drum may be driven by various different means but is preferably driven from a spring motor 31, the rotor shaft of which is equipped with a small driving sheave or pulley 32, over which and the sheave 11 a driving belt 33 is arranged to run, saidbelt being indicated by dotted lines only. The spring motor 31 may be of] any suitable or approved type, which, when wound up, will run and drive the separating drum for a predetermined interval of time. In practice, it has been found that less than a minute, will bev suflicient to accomplish the proper separation. As shown, said motor is provided with a winding crank 31 shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. To make the whole device a complete self-contained machine, capable of being moved from one place to another without requiring reassembling of parts, the pedestal "6 and the case of the motor 31 are secured to a common base 6 or otherwise rigidly connected.

One of the important features of this invention is in the facility with which the separating drum may be applied in working position and removed. This makes possible the substitution of one drum for the other or the interchangeable use of drums having internal pockets of different sizes. For the separation of the wheat out of the commingled mass, the internal pockets of the separating drum should be of a size to receive wheat kernels but not long enough to receive the oats, but for the separation of the smaller seeds from the wheat, the separating drum should have pockets large enough only to receive the seeds smaller than the wheat and not large enough to receive the wheat kernels.

In the use of this separator for the separation of the dockage from the wheat, a commingled mass will be placed in a separating drum having pockets of asize to receive wheat kernels but. not long enough toreceive the oats. Then, under rotation of thedrum, the wheat kernels will get into the pockets 22 and will be carried upward to points where they will slide out of said pockets, under the action of. gravity, and will fall into the collecting hopper 23, but the oat kernels, being too long to get into the selecting pockets, will be rejected thereby and, under the action of gravity, will be caused to continuously roll or slide back toward the bottom of the drum. When the drum has been rotated long enough, towit: a minute or less, substantially all of the good wheat kernels will be taken out of the oats and deposited in the hopper and the oats will remain in the drum. However, the small seeds and broken wheat kernels will be carried with the good wheat into the hopper.

By pressing downward on the spout 24 or on the outer portion of the hopper or drum, the weight 15 may be readily overcome and the hopper and drum tilted into the oblique position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position, the cats; will run from the open end of the drum and may be discharged into a receptacle 34c placed below the same,

but the wheat will be held within the hopper by the spring-pressed gate 25. If desired, the drum may be rotated while tilted, to facilitate the discharge of the oats therefrom, and this driving action in the tilted position is made possible because the drum is tilted'on the common axis of the driving pinion-12, drive shaft 10, and stud shafts 9. After the oats have been discharged from the drum, another receptacle can be placed below. the discharge spout 24, and when the I gate 25 is then opened, the wheat will run into this latter noted receptacle. By the operation just described, the oats are separated from the wheat but the wheat will be commingled with more or less small seeds and the like. To separate the small seeds and the like from good wheat, another-drum just like the one described but having smaller pockets, as above indicated, will be placed in workin position and the wheat with these smal er seeds commingled therewith will be placed in this second separating drum thus substituted. Then, under rotation of the'said drum, the small seeds, broken wheat and the like will get into the pockets and will be carried upward and discharged into the hopper; while the wheat will slide or roll back towards the-bottom drum. In this way, only good clean wheatwill be left in said drum and, 'of 'cour'se, the separation thus effected may be-obtained by the -independent discharge of the seeds from the hopper and the Wheat from the drum.

- Thefact that the drum is journaled and supported at its closed side and free at its open side and also'thefact that the hopper 18 carried on a spindle that is supported only at the sameend or side of the device, is highly important and such construction is particularlyfeasible in a small separator of the character above described. 7

The conical or outwardly converging annular flange '18 is highly important because it contracts the open side of the drum so that the oats willbe retained in the drum 7 throughout the separation action and the outward convergence or truncated conical form of thisflange is important because it facilitates the discharge of the oats when the drum is tilted. The drum head l9 has been described as a closed head, but it is not essential that it be absolutely solid from hub to rim; 'It is, however, important that the outer portion of said head be imperforate so that that outer portion and the annular flange 18 form contractions at the ends'of the drum, serving to hold the commingled separablemass against travel axially of' the drum.' This arrangement is es'pe'ciallyimportant in a small sample or dockage tester where a' continuous separating actionis not desired but where. the small batch is simply separated while being'subjected constantly'to the same separating action.' 1 I r I In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 5, neither the drum nor'the hopper is mounted for tilting movements. The drum here illustrated is of the same construction as that previously described, except that, in

lieu' ofvthe-frictional bevel gear 21, it is provided with a large driving-sheave 35 locatedjust outward of its fixed head and connectedto said. fixed head and having a sleeve that. constitutes a hub portion of said head. The spindle 36, which is-otherwise like thespindle 16,'is in this construction directly secured at one end to theupper endof a fixed pedestal 37. For the discharge of the oats fromthe drum, after the separation has been made, the cylindrical surface of said .drum is. provided with a normally closed trap door 38. The hopper 39, inthis arrangement,-has an oblique bottom and an oblique discharge spout 40, which latteris normally closed by a spring pressed gate 41. v

Fordriving the drum just described,"I preferably employa small spring motor 42, the rotor shaft of which is provided with a smal-l driving sheave 43, over which and the sheave 35- runs a driving belt 44 shown by dotted lines only in Fig. 5. 1 a

In the operation-ofthe separator -just described and illustrated in Fig. ,5, theoats will remain in the drum and the wheat will be carried intoythe hopper 39, and (after the separation has been-completed, the Wheat can be drawn off from the hopper under the action of gravity when the gate 41 is opened, while the oats may be discharged from the drum by opening the trap door'or gate 381 while thelatter is at the bottom of the drum. V I

What I claim is:

1. A separatorocomprising an, approximately horizontal internally pocketed rotary drum having internalendcontractions for holding the commingled separable mass against travel axially of the drum, and a hopper within said drum into which certain of the selected materials Will be delivered by said drum. I

2. A separator comprising an approxi mately horizontal internally pocketed rotary drum having internal vend contractions for holding the commingled separable mass against travel axially of the drum, and a hopper within said drum intowhich certain of the selected materials will be delivered by said'drum, said hopper having a spout for delivery through one end of the drum.

3. A separator comprising 'an approximately horizontalinternally pocketed rotary i rejected materials.

4. A separator comprising an approximately horizontal internally pocketed rotary drum having internallend contractions for holding the commingled separable mass against. travel.- axially of the drum, and a hopper within said drum. into which cer-- tain of the selected materials will be delivered by said drum, said drum having its support at one; end and being removable from its support by movement away from the same and being replaceable by move ments toward said support.

5. A separator comprising an approximately: horizontal internally pocketed rotary drum having internal end contractions for holding the commingled. separable mass against travel axially of the drum, and a hopper within said drum into which certain of the selected materials will be delivered by said drum, said drum and hopper having their supports at one end of said drum and both being'removable by movement-s away from said supports and being replaceable by movements toward said supports.

6. A separator comprising an approximately horizontal internally pocketed separating drum rotatively supported at one end and open at its other end, and a hopper located within said drum and supported from the closed end of the drum but restrained against rotation with the drum.

7 A separator comprising an approximately horizontal internally pocketed separating drum rotatively supported at one-end and open at its other end, and a hopper located within said drum and tiltably supported adjacent the closed end of the drum b ut restrained against rotation with the drum.

' 8. A separator comprising an approxiimately horizontal internally pocketed separating drum rotatively supported at one end and open at its other end, anda hopper located within said drum and supported adjacent the closed end of the drum but restrained against rotation with the'drum, the said drum at its open end having a contracted annular flange.

9. A separator comprising anapproximately horizontal internally pocketed separating drum rotatively supported at one end and open atits other end, and a hopper located within said drum and supported adjacent the closed end of the drum but restrained against rotation with the drum, said drum at its openend having an outwardly converging truncated conical flange.

10. A separator comprising an approximately horizontal internally pocketed separating drum rotatively supported at one end and open at itsother end, and a hopper located within said drum and supported adjacent the closed end of the drum but restrained against rotation with the drum, the said drum at its open end havinga' contracted annular flange,'and the said-hopper having a discharge spout extended outward through the contracted opening, afforded by said annular flange, .7

11. A separator comprisingxan approximately horizontal internally pocketedsepa rating drum rotatively supported .at one end and open at its other end, and a hopper located within said drum'and supported adj acent the closed end of the drum but restrained against rotation with the drum, said hopper having a discharge spout provided with a normally closedgate.

12. A separator comprising-wan approximately horizontal internally pocketed ro-' tary separating drum, anda hopper located within said drum, said drum and hopper being arranged for tilting'movements to discl-iarge their contents at the same downwardly pressed ends.

-13. A separator comprising an approximately horizontal internally pocketed rotary drum having an internal end contraction forl'iol'ding the comming-led separable mass against travel axially of the drum, and a hopper within said drum into which certain of the selected materials can be delivered by said drum, andv thesaiddrum at that end having an opening for the discharge of the rejectedmaterials.

14. A separator comprising an approximately horizontal internally pocketedseparating drum, and a non-rotary hopper located within said drum, said drum and hopper being supported at one end and arranged for discharge at the opposite ends, saiddrnm and hopper being arranged for common tilting movements to discharge their contents.

15. A separator comprising a relatively fixed support, a weighted supporting lever pivoted to said support, an internally pocketed separating drum j ournaled to said lever on an axis extended longitudinally thereof and extending in a directionaway from the weighted end of said lever, a non-rotary hopper within said. drum. also supported from said lever, saidv drum being'open at its extend-ed end and said hopper having a discharge spout arranged to deliver throughthe open end of said drum.

16. A separator comprising a relatively fixed support, a weighted lever pivoted to said support and provided with a longitudinal spindle extended in a direction away from its weighted end, an; internally pocketed separating drum open at one end and at its other end provided with a hub journaled on said spindle, a hopper within said drum mounted on said spindle and thereby held against rotation with the drum, said hopper being arranged to discharge through the open end of said drum.

In testimony whereo-il aiiix my signature.

CLARENCE W. CARTER. 

